Ohio State football added a pair of transfer portal players who have a chance to push another Buckeye for his starting job
The Buckeyes brought in competition at wide receiver from the transfer portal.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have made 16 additions from the transfer portal over the past couple of weeks. There have been 31 departures from the program, and that just goes to show the era of college football we’re in.
Ohio State has a totally new look wide receiver room outside of Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss for 2026. The Buckeyes added former UTSA WR Devin McCuinn quickly from the portal — then struck again on Friday by adding a former SEC wideout with Kyle Parker from LSU.
Ohio State added more explosive slot weapons in the transfer portal who could take the starting spot
Inniss returns as the starting slot wideout for the Buckeyes, but there’s no reason to believe that spot should be safe with how 2025 went. Inniss had 36 catches for 271 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Ohio State typically has a ton of production out of the slot, and players in the past, like Emeka Egbuka and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, feasted there.
McCuinn and Parker bring proven speed and will help take pressure off of Smith. While Inniss does some good things, he hasn’t shown game-breaking speed or explosiveness. If Ohio State can get that out of one of the portal wideouts, they could cut into Inniss’ playing time.
Parker had 330 receiving yards at LSU last season, and McCuinn had a strong year with 726 yards and eight touchdowns.
Ohio State has to maximize its passing offense in the last year it’ll have Smith. It also could be the last year that Julian Sayin will be in Columbus before he heads pro. McCuinn and Parker proving more speed for the defense to prepare for is a great way to take the pressure off of Smith.
The Buckeyes had a great duo of Smith and Tate in 2026, but the offense still lacked explosiveness. The hope in Columbus is that speed was upgraded in the portal — and that the Buckeyes swapping out Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter with McCuinn and Parker was the right call.
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